Pathologies of the carpal tunnel region can require surgery. However, it is known that this operation can be avoided in 50% of cases if, upon the appearance of the first symptoms, the flexing of the wrist is stopped, in particular at night.
Thus, already known are orthoses designed to prevent flexing of the user's wrist. Initially, when the symptoms are the most significant, it is recommended to place the wrist in a treatment position corresponding to a certain degree of extension and prevent the flexing of the wrist from that position. Subsequently, depending on the user's recovery, and gradually, the treatment position can correspond to a lesser degree of extension, or even a certain degree of flexing, flexing past that position still being blocked.
Orthoses of this type custom made by an orthotist are already known. They consist of a rigid piece held around the wrist and forearm by straps, this rigid piece defining a determined treatment position. Depending on the evolution of the user's symptoms, the orthotist modifies the treatment position. To that end, this type of orthosis is made in a material that, when it exceeds a certain temperature, becomes malleable, and becomes rigid again after cooling. For example, the orthosis is made of resin and the orthotist submerges it in hot water to be able to then remodel it and adapt it to the stage of the user's healing by setting the appropriate degree of extension or flexing.
These orthoses therefore require intervention by a qualified orthotist, and cannot be adapted by the users themselves. Moreover, the operations for changing the treatment position, i.e. the angle of extension or flexing, are relatively long. To avoid interrupting treatment for several days, this therefore involves bringing the orthosis to the specialist when the latter is available to perform the remodeling, and to come pick it up quickly after this remodeling is done. Of course, this moment must also correspond to the moment when the evolution of the symptoms requires a modification of the treatment position defined by the orthosis. All of this is particularly restrictive.
Also known are orthoses comprising a proximal portion designed to grip the forearm and a distal portion designed to grip the hand, in which the angle between the proximal and distal portions can be modified, by relative pivoting around an axis essentially combined with the flexion/extension axis of the user's wrist joint.
However, these known orthoses are not fully satisfactory, in particular for issues regarding ease of implementation and quality of the maintenance.